Here is my child.... Sister McKenna Sowards :)
I am training a brand new missionary! Her name is Sister Sowards and she is from Bountiful, Utah. Right next door to where I have grown up!
She was even in a singing and dancing group with one of my childhood best friends, Tanner Rampton and knows him :)
Training is awesome..... Let me tell you a little bit about what it is like.
President McDonough told me that Training is the most important calling he gives to missionaries. You are training someone from the beginning - how they will act for the rest of their mission.
So it's a big responsibility. Basically it's like raising a child! But different.
Luckily companions can feed and bathe themselves.
haha.
We went and found a less active family recently... they are so sweet. Brother Porteau makes these amazing contraptions of a slug bug mixed with a motorcycle. I think I want to buy one someday! This one he isn't finished building, but it will be a beauty when it is!!!!
We went to dinner with Mr. Joe Klemm who is a German guy I met at the library, and he used to take missionaries to dinner when he lived in Germany so he asked us out too. I was trying to grasp for a spiritual message in the middle of the Mexican restaurant..... So I shared the scripture Mosiah 2:17 that says: "when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God"
Thanked him for taking us to dinner, and serving us.
It made Mr. Klemm Cry and I was amazed how strong I could feel the spirit a midst all the noise and business of the restaurant.
Then we saw the Juneau's a part member family her husband isn't a member and her son has taken a dive to the deep end and can't seem to swim back. Her husband(the non member) said we could come by and teach them since Sister Sowards is new.
That is what we say to everyone! Can we come practice teaching you the discussions? It's the best ever!!!! I love having a brand new companion.
I had my "HUMP DAY" this week - which means I hit my halfway mark :)
Elder Meekum (one of the missionaries from my MTC district) just got transferred to Coushatta so we are in the same district again! This is us, excited that we hit our 9 month day together!
We went visiting teaching with a recent convert to a less active the other day, and invited this less active to church. Like we always do. I was so surprised when she actually showed up!!!!!!! It was a miracle!
We had a a lot of less actives show up at church lately!!!! Sometimes it brings me more joy to see a less active at church than an investigator.... it really does. Because I know they have testimonies... just sometimes Satan... and the world get in the way of what's important.
I also have been playing the organ in church, thanks to the Organ lessons I got from Sister Jenkins. It is going very well and I am proud of myself!!!
My mom sent me a very cute "happy halfway" package this week. I saw it on our doorstep and it felt like christmas, i was so excited to see a package!!!!!! She sent me some goodies with an adorable new orange shirt, I wore it the next day. And ate cotton candy at the Carrolls house. They fed us dinner twice this week... that's how awesome they are.
Bibbet and Jerry showed up with a trunk full of groceries this week and I wanted to cry. I love good hearted people!!!! We stocked up our cupboards and fridge... they are both fixin to explode now!!!!
We are still waiting for Sister Sowards bike to get here, so we have been celebrating Pioneer Day every day by walking everwhere we go.
One afternoon after teaching Dyann, we had Sister Kabalan - the bishop's wife drop us off in the middle of no where so that we could go tracting before dinner.
Well, we then realized we forgot the phone. Dangit. We couldn't call anyone to come pick us up. So we decided to start walking to dinner which was like 5 miles away.
Of course Heavenly Father didn't want us to do that, and what do you know...... Sis Farmer- an older lady who is related to the family we were going to - happens to pass by and see us!
When people pull over looking like they want to give us a ride, I usually don't ask questions and just jump in the car and hope that we know them!!! haha.. just kidding mom. but seriously.
So we went to dinner/teach at the Nelson's who are members. They invited their kids and grand-kids (who aren't all members) to come, so we could teach all of them.
Dinner was so good...I have to get her macaroni recipe, it was delicious.
We taught the restoration and the wind was blowing outside.... It was getting stormy.
We told the story of the First Vision and a minute later.... BOOM the power is out.
We awkwardly continue teaching then it got crazy.
Trees were falling down cause the wind was so strong!
So...... we just ended there.... and the Nelsons gave us a ride home and told us if we didn't have power we were welcome to come back but luckily we still had power at our apartments! It was crazy!!!!!
The weather down here is schizophrenic.
Well I am trying to do my best job as a trainer. If anyone has any advice for me shoot me an email!
I have trained Sister Sowards on the ways of Southern Classic Chicken... and Southern Maid Donuts. A must have in the south. I am thinking about opening my own Franchise of Southern Classic Chicken back home in Utah.
On Sunday I did a special musical number and it was really beautiful!!! Sister Sowards and I went and taught primary because there are so many people out of town right now there weren't enough teachers! I played the piano for singing time with the little kids and it made me very happy. I love hearing the little kids sing about how much they love Jesus and how Jesus wants them for a Sunbeam and how they want to go to the temple someday.
It just warms my little heart.
Love, Sister Brown
P.S. GO LSU!!!! :)
I love Sister Brown to the moon and back.
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